Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Modern breeding draws from the past breeding experience


AI began as a service in the 1940s, and with the advent of frozen semen in the 1960s, transitioned into genetic merchandising since the 1970s.    Today’s approaches to the “art” and “science” of breeding are really no different than the ideas competing in the transformative 1960s—we just assign new names to make then seem revolutionary.

In fact, most of our current breeding ideas are either evolutionary or just reinventing a tired idea that tried and failed a couple generations before.    Understanding history is a step in being able to sort “fads and fancies” from foundational concepts.    But perhaps the most overlooked aspect of modern breeding, in our reductionist science approaches, remains our need to build the physical cow capable of sustaining the production pace for which we focus so much genetic selection energy.

If you suspect you are missing out on all the genetic gains you have been promised, it may be time to have a conversation with us, and fit all the pieces together.

Mich Livestock Service, Inc   “For the Best in Bulls”    ph (800) 359-1693    Ovid, MI  48866

No comments:

Post a Comment